Rudi Völler has avoided the question of his possible new job with the German national soccer team for the time being.
“We still have our round of experts this week,” said the former international and DFB team manager on stage at the German Football League’s New Year’s reception in Offenbach. There will be a discussion again. “Let’s see,” Völler replied when asked whether the execution would be reported afterwards.
Völler is now the only candidate to succeed former DFB director Oliver Bierhoff.
“Rudi has the advantage that most people have a positive attitude towards him,” said DFL supervisory board chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke. “If you’re a plum then, that’s no use to you. But he also has a lot of knowledge. That in combination is a good story.” Völler is “extremely authentic”.
Watzke and Völler himself belong to the DFB task force alongside DFB President Bernd Neuendorf, Bayern Munich’s former CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, his successor Oliver Kahn, ex-DFB sports director Matthias Sammer and former Leipzig managing director Oliver Mintzlaff. After the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, this is looking for solutions on how the DFB selection will be successful again. The next meeting is this Thursday.
“As Germans, we must not make ourselves too small, not as the DFL, not as the DFB, not the clubs,” said Völler. “There’s definitely more to be had at the European Championships. We’re good enough.” A “few things” would have to be changed, said Völler. “Very important, just be more self-confident.”
Kahn on the Bierhoff successor: Can’t cope with one person
Oliver Kahn warns against assigning Bierhoff’s numerous DFB tasks to just one person. “I don’t want to overuse the word structure, but we took a very close look at the structure, which was the responsibility of Oliver Bierhoff – and that’s a very complex area of responsibility,” said the FC Bayern Munich CEO in Offenbach. “To believe today that one person can do it, that’s very ambitious.”
“I’ve seen Rudi myself as a player. Rudi is someone who can give you a good feeling, he’s incredibly good technically,” said Kahn about the former team boss of the national team. “He’s achieved everything in his career. He’s also super credible. We all have to weigh that up now, that’s why this task force exists.” Structures and people are discussed there: “And in the end it’s about making a decision for German football and for success to return.”
DFL honorary award for Völler
Before that, Völler had also been personally awarded the DFL honorary award in Offenbach. This represents “a recognition of special and outstanding achievements in all aspects of German professional football,” is how the DFL describes the award. Völler had to cancel the original appointment in mid-August 2022 for personal reasons. A total of 15 people are DFL honorary award winners. Born in Hanau, Völler began his active career at Kickers Offenbach.
“Of course I’m happy about the award, I grew up less than ten minutes from here,” said Völler. He feels “a bit like a child of the Bundesliga”.
